Improvement in machines for corking bottles



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. S. VALENTINE. MACHINE FORJORKING BOTTLES. V

11 ,173,088; Patented Fe'b.1,18-76 mvan'nn I .Altw'mys.

misses N-FETERS, PU1OTO-UTOGRAPHEIL WASHINGTON, D. O.

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. 4

Patented Feb. -1, 1.876.

INVENTO- I .At t r-nLeys ".PEIERS PHOTWLITNDGRAPNER, WASHlNGTON D C M.s. VALENTINE;

MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES. N'Ou UNITED STATES,

' FFI E I MANN s. VALENTINE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CORKING BOTTLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,088, dated February1, 1876; application filed August 4, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, MANN S. VALENTINE,

-of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, haveinvented acertain new of different heights. It is arranged witha'carrying apron or table, by which the bottlesv are successivelypresented to the-corking apparatus, and, when corked, are carried awayand'delivered to a suitable receptacle. While receiving the cork thebottle is held up to thecorker by a support with a strong spring, whichlatter permits it to yield under excess ive pressure, to preventbreaking the bottle;

The corks are contained in a magazine constructed to deliver one at atime,'to be for- Warded to the corkin g mechanism, and retain Thecorking mechanism is the remainder. constructed to impart a rotarymotion to the cork in the act of driving it in the bottle.

It is preferred to construct the machine with reciprocating movement,one stroke forwarding the bottle to its position beneath the corkingmechanism, and placing a new cork beneath the corking-plunger, the otherstroke elevating and locking thejbottle in position to receive the cork,and then drivingthe cork therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of amachine illustrating the invention. Fig.2 is a vertical section thereofon the line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the corking-plunger elevated. Fig. 3 isa rear View, showing the corking-plunger down. Fig. 4 is "a verticalsection .on the line 4 4, Fig.3,- showing a corkingplunger down and acork driven into the bottle-neck. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views ofdetails, hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is a front elevation,illustrating a modification embracing an adjustable apron, by which themachine is adapted for corking bottles of various sizes.

1 represents a bed or foundation-for standards 2 3, and a frame, 14, inwhich are the bearings of ahorizontal shaft, 4, and a rotating verticalsleeve, 5. .Thehorizontal shaft 4 has keyed to its rear end a crank, 6,and carries at its forward end a'segment-gear, 7, meshing with a pinion,8, on the sleeve 5, which rotates Within the frame 14, and has aninternal spline fitting in a groove,.12, in the plunger 9, so as toimpart a rotary motion to the said plunger, while permitting it to slideup and down.

On the plunger 9 is a double-threaded screw,

10, (the diameter of which can be varied,) fitting within a threadedboss, 11, on the frame 14, and serving to impart a vertical motion tothe plunger as it is rotated.

The vertical and rotary motion of the plunger 9 effects the driving ofthe corks, as hereinaf ter described. This plunger descends through acorking-guide, 13, mounted on a crossbeam, 14, of the frame 14, whichframe is attached at top to the standard 3, connecting by-a lateralduct, 15, with the lower end of a magazine,,16, which contains corks,one above another. 17 represents a catch projecting into the magazinethrough a slot therein, and attached to the end of a spring, 18, servingto press it inward against the'cork within the magazine and hold itthere, while it supports the corks coming from above, and prevents thedropping of more than one at 'a'time in front of the follower, whichcarries them beneath the corking-plungen. The spring-catch 17 18 isretracted atthe proper moment, to allow the corks to descend, by meansof a lever-tappet,-19, fulcrumed at 20 to the stationary frame-work, andoperated by alever, 21, which is fulcrumed at 22, and when drawn forwardstrikes with its lower end the lower end of the tappet-lever 19. Thelever 21 is connected near its lower end by a link, 23, with a follower,24, which Workswithi'n the duct 15,

and carries one'cork-at a time under the corkplunger. The motion of thelever 21 to impart this forward movement to the follower 24, and toretract the spring-catch 17 18 by means of the tappet 0r lever 19, isproduced by a cam-flange, 25, on the gear-wheel .7, working over afriction-roller, 26, on the lever 21. A latch, 27, held by a spring, 28,against the cam-flange 25, permits the passage of the rollerstud 26during the stroke which throws the lever 21 forward, and immediatelysprings back against the cam-flange 25, behind the stud-roller 26, so asto hold the lever 21 and follower 24 in their forward position duringthe one-half of the reverse stroke which drives the cork, or until thecork has fairly entered the guide and taken the threads thereof, so asto insure a spiral descent into the neck of the bottle. The face or endof the follower 24 has 7 a concave form, so as to constitute a part ofthe guiding-box and make a tight fit of the cork, while the latter isdriven through the upper portion of the guide. 29 represents a spring,for retracting the lever 21 as soon as it is released by the cam-flange25 and latch 27. The extremity of the plunger 9 is formed with teeth orridges 30, of any proper form, to hold the end of the cork, and assistin imparting rotary motion thereto during the rotation of the plunger asthe cork is driven. The guiding-box 13 is formed with spiral threads orgrooves 13, to aid the rotation.

31 represents an endless apron, stretched on rollers 32 33, and carryingseats or sockets 34, for the reception of the bottles to be corked.These seats or sockets are made adaptable to bottles of various sizesand shapes.

0n the shaft 32 of the roller 32, which is the driving-roller for theapron, is a ratchetwheel, 35, through themedium of which an intermittentrotary motion is imparted to the roller 32, and thereby to the apron, bymeans of a pawl, 36, pivoted to an arm, 37, working concentrically withthe roller 32 on the shaft 32 thereof, and operated by a connecting-rod,38, which is pivoted at its other end to the wrist of a crank, 39, onthe horizontal shaft 4. The apron 37 is formed'of a number of linksequal in length to the diameter of the bottle-seats, and the rollersover which the said aprons work are formed with corresponding faces,giving to the periphery of the rollers a hexagonal or other necessaryform. 55 represents a disk on the shaft 32, formed on its periphery withnotches 56, one-half as many in number as the faces of the wheel 32. Aspring, 57, catches in these notches in succession, so that the movementof the apron to bring each successive bottle into position for corkin gwill be determined, and the apron will be held against accidentalmovement. 40 represents abottle in position for being corked. In orderto press the bottle to be corked firmly upward against the guiding-box13, and so hold it while the cork is being driven, the part of the apronon which the bottle rests in position for receiving the cork is elevateddirectly before the descent of the cork-plunger by the followingmechanism: 41 represents a lever, fulcrumed at 42 to the rear standard3, in such a manner as to permit a slight vertical play to said lever,and held down by a spring, 43, which is adjustable by means of aset-screw, 44, to regulate the resistance of the spring to the outwardstrain of the lever 41. The power is applied to the lever 41 at 45 bymeans of a connecting-rod, 46, resting at its upper extremity on a camor boss, 47, on the horizontal shaft 4, the said cam being so formed asto gradu ally lower the lever 41 when the bottle is to be released. Theupper endof the connecting-rod 46 forms a yoke, 49, embracing the shaftand its cam 47 and a pin, 48, which forms a supplement or addition tothe said cam. The yoke 49 is formed with a lateral extension, 50, which,when the bottle-seat is lowered, rests on the shaft and against a radialstop, 51, as illusshaft is again reversed in the direction indi cated bythe arrow in Fig. 5, the first of which is to carry the yokeand theupper end of the connecting-rod in a horizontal direction by the contactof the end of the cam 47 until said cam can pass below the lateralprojection 50, which projection rests again on the periphery of the camuntil the parts approach the position shownin Fig. 6. 52 represents aspring to press the upper end of the connecting-rod horizontally againstthe face of the shaft or against the cam therein, as the case may be. Onthe bottom of each bottle-seat is a gain spring or cushion, 53, to forman elastic support for the bottle while receiving the cork.

58 represents a stop-pin or stud projecting from the standard 2, servingto arrest the motion of the segment-gear 7 at the termination of eachstroke thereof, the said segment being formed with notches 59 60 in aprecisely diametrical line, engaging with the said stop-pin, so that thesegment-wheel may make precisely half a revolution at each stroke.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, 32 33 represent the maindriving-rollers of the apron in a corking-machine of large size. Theyare extended beyond the frame on either side of the bed of the machine.61 61 represent two other rollers working in slots 62 62 in the frame,the size of these rollers depending on that of the machine. These can beset to any height by set-screws working through the slots 62 62. Whenthe rollers 61 61 are raised to the position shown they raise the apron31, so as to receive a much smaller bottle. The roller 33 is allowed toslide through the slot 63, and take the position shown, or anyintermediate position that will keep the apron 31 tight. The lever thatraises the bottle in proper position to receive the cork can be arrangedto rise through a slot in the rear standard, working so as to regulateit for any size bottle. The piston and eorking guide can be so arrangedas to change them with very little trouble to suit the variation in thecork for different size bottles.

Operation: The hasp being in the position shown in Fig. 2, and themagazine 16 supplied ger, as represented. The crank-arm 6 is nowreversed from the position shown in the front view, Fig. 2, to theopposite position indicated in dotted lines in the rear view,-Fig. 3,the effect 'of which is, first, to raise the connectingrod 46 from theposition shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Figs. 4 and 5, pressing thebottle 40 firmly up against the mouth of the corking-guide; second, torotate the plunger 9 by means of the segment-gear 7, causing it todescend on the .cork 54, which has been forced into position in thecorking-guide and held .and firmly pressed by the follower 24. The

downward and rotary motion of the plunger is imparted to the cork, thefollower releasing it as it passes into the corking-guide 13, so thatthe cork is forced into the bottle-neck with a spiral movement. Thelatch 27 holds the fol-" lower 24 firmly in this position while the corkis being driven through the upper portion of the guide, and then permitsthe followerto be thrown back by its retracting-sprin g to receive a newcork from the magazine in readiness for the next operation. Thecrank-arm 6 being new again reversed to the position shown in Fig. 2,the plunger 9 is thereby again elevated, the bottle is released by thelowering of the lever 41, the apron 31' is moved, carrying a new bottleunder the plunger, and the follower 24 ismoved forward, carrying a newcork beneath the plunger in the corking-guide.

Any suitable device is employed for conveying the corked bottles away asthey are deposited one by one by the apronl Such device may consist ofan automatic hand and an endless conveycr, of any necessary-length, or areci rocating carrier, moving in proper unison with the apron, so as totake the bottles one by one, as they'are' dropped, and deposit them in asuitable receptacle.

The following is claimed as new:

1. A corking-machine constructed with a plunger, receiving a combinedvertical and retary motion, substantially'as and for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination of the vertically moving and rotating pluuger9and thespirally-grooved corking-guide 13, substantially as described.

' 3. The combination of the-cork-magazine 16 and spring-catch 17 18 withthe follower 24, for delivering the corks successively, as described.

4. The combination of the intermitentlymoving apron 31 and theelevating-lever 41 with the eorking-guide 13, for carrying the bottlessuccessively beneath the said corkingguide, and elevating them in fixedposition to receive the corks. Y

5. The spring 43, to afford a yielding bearing to the elevating-lever41, by which the bottles are supported in position for corking.

'6. The combination of the cam 47, pin 48, connecting-rod 46, andhorizontal shaft 4, op-

erating substantially as and for the purposesset forth, in connectionwith the elevatinglever 41.

7. The combination of the ratchet-wheel 35, pawl 36, apron 37,connecting-rod 38, and crank 39, for imparting intermittent motion tothe shaft 32 of thedriving-roller of the apron, as explained. I

8. The combination of the notched disk 55 and spring-catch 57, todetermine the intermittent motion of the apron 31,'and retain it againstaccidental movement, as explained.

MANN S. VALENTINE.

Witnesses:

IRA W. 'BLUNT, S. A. GLOVER, W. F. ALLEY.

